For example, you could replace the network adapter in your Dell R730xd and gets higher throughput on the main interface(s). Often the built-in card tops out at 1 Gbps per port.
The rear panel typicaly has four RJ45 ports.
Installing the New Network Card
However, it’s a bottleneck that will only grow over time. The new card provide faster connection speed on certain device.
On the back panel, there is usually four RJ45 ports. These are all gigabit-only ports.
On a new replacement card you might see a big black finned heatsink and copper heatpipes inside. According to the specs, those are eno1 and eno2 which gets upgraded to 2.5 Gbps with an SFP connection. The other two ports, eno3 and eno4, remains at 1 Gbps but retain their RJ45 connectors.
For most configurations, this trade-off is understandable.
First, turn off the device entirely. Now remove the chassis cover and expose what’s inside box.
The server chassis is large, heavy and awkward. Set it on your wood table with it upside down. Why? Because that’s how you get to the slots where the card slide in.
There is some warnings and cautions on the underside of the chassis. If you’ve done this before, ignore them. What we’re doing here is just swapping out one card for another.
Opening up the chassis reveals a dense interior. You’ll need to remove your current NIC with a screwdriver. Apply even force until the card come free. Once the screws have been removed place your old card to the side.
After removing the old card you will see several riser card (RISER 2 & RISER 3). There are also some exposed connection on the motherboard.
First, don’t be intimidated by the inside. Wash your hands when you’re ready to grab that new card.
Firmly insert the new card into its slot. Make sure the connectors is aligned. Once everything is in position, press down on the card and let it click in. Align the heatsink with the space in the chassis.
No modifications is required to fit.
Inside, you’ll find a solid-state drive. It’s covered in stickers bearing regulatory symbols and QR codes. There are blue directional arrows pointing out where to insert that drive.
Leave it alone, don’t mess with the storage components. Stick to the networking stuff.
There’s no need to mess around with the drives.
Attach the new card to the motherboard with a couple of additional screws. You’ll want to use the orange-handled screwdriver for this one. Tighten until they feel right and stop. Don’t go crazy on any of these screws.
While you’re doing it, notice the Dell logo on the side panel? That’s because everything in here are built for business. It’s built for longevity.
Don’t touch the drives, just focus on the networking hardware.
Reverse the steps we used to disassemble the chassis and reassemble it. Place the cover onto the unit. Then power the unit back up. Boot the unit up.
It should boot just fine. Check that the upgrade has taken hold with the speeds of the interfaces. They should of be running 2.5 Gbps now (en01 and en02). As expected, the rest are still running at 1 Gbps. The increase in bandwidth is instantaneous.
It’s usually easy. There aren’t any driver conflicts. The operating system is unaware that anything changed.
Hardware upgrades don’t get much easier then this sometimes. With some patience, you have the correct card. That alone makes a big difference in network performance.
File transfers benefit from the 2.5 Gbps speed. A clean swap creates no complications.
